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Sleepy Hollow - S3E3 - Blood and Fear

Previously on Sleepy Hollow, ‘Whispers in the Dark’

Spell o’ The Week

Pandora casts a spell over her magic puddle, and compared to last week this one is pretty good: she drops some rhymes and gains access to the Witnesses’ innermost fears. Luckily they only have one fear apiece. This show only has an hour.

The same spell also makes handkerchiefs hilariously float through the air and can produce weapons out of thin air. That last part is actually not hilarious-that’s a wicked looking knife she’s got now.

Images: FOX

Crane has been enjoying the fruits of standing in line at a government office, ramping him up for a new adorable Icha-rant (™) on some sort of injustice or another. His paperwork to protect the Archives has lapsed, and he can’t have it renewed without an American citizen’s signature. Obviously the time has come for Ichabod to become an American citizen! His new probably love-interest Historian Lady overheard his stirring speech, and later in the episode she tells him she wants to help him pass the test (even though he quoted himself to her). She must really have a thing for Americans.

Hi, My Name Is

Sleepy Hollow has a pretty standard opening formula: Witness repartee, introduce evil, cut to unknown character/location where new evil will undoubtedly take place. That’s how Nelson Myers is introduced, as the typical sad-sack office nerd who can’t talk to his pretty blonde office crush Emily. He follows her unnoticed to the liquid lunch office party at Sleepy Hollow’s All Day Rave Bar, but instead of talking to his crush he gets chatted up by Pandora. She goads him into dancing with her, promising a show for his coworkers, and after a few stumbles he wakes up in his bed with a fancy new knife that’s just begging to be used in a supernatural killing.

Jenny fills Abbie in on losing the Shard and rescuing Joe. They should probably finally tell him the truth about his father’s other life and the crazy goings on of Sleepy Hollow, with it’s Headless Horsemen and Wendigos just walking around. Reynolds interrupts their sidewalk meeting to put Abbie on a new case: local office douche who brags about his sexual conquests found dead in an elevator.

Technically, he was exsanguinated, which really is a mystery since he’d been stabbed multiple times, and with a vengeance. The Witness team is on the case, and as Crane leans over the body he has flashbacks to a childhood terror: Jack the Ripper?

Ichabod Crane, Original Hipster

Ever the investigator, Abbie asks the obvious: how could Jack the Ripper have been around when Ichabod was a kid? And aren’t we using the word kid a bit liberally? Don’t worry-there’s a flashback for that. Eton College in 1763 had been victim to “another” ripper killing of Ichie’s closest friend, found in the same desiccated state. Crane got sent away for his safety before the murderer was found, but never lost his obsession with the strange deaths, which he formed a pattern with the same M.O. going back 900 years. He’d never even heard of Jack the Ripper, he just recognized the death…which means Pandora recognized him by his memories! Making that giant leap based on what feels like zero intel, it becomes clear to them that Pandora and the murder weapon are behind these killings.

Joe and Abbie are ahuntin’ Randall, but when they kick in the door to his motel, they instead scare the bejesus out of some hitchhiker he picked up. With a peal of tires (and probably manic laughter that we couldn’t hear), Jenny discovers that that hitchhiker tied Randall up in the bathroom and made off with the Shard-just like Papa Corbin used to do!

Here Comes the Blade

Forensics has reconstructed the murder weapon. Wanna guess who recognizes it as a Byzantine long-bladed dagger, forged in 950 AD? It’s not the FBI tech. This blade has a wicked history, and those who wield it will be wholly overcome with unquenchable bloodlust. The knife is what turns people into Rippers.

Nelson is having a good amount of murder-regret, at least until Pandora appears to convince him that he deserves the power the knife has given him. He tries to give it back but it’s glued to his hand, forming a metal gauntlet around his wrist. She takes him back to his apartment to give him the gift of the traditional Ripper coat and a new objective: hunt down the Witnesses.

In a sheer coincidence of timing, Abbie and Crane show up at Nelson’s apartment building; they’ve pinpointed him as their Ripper, and not a moment too soon. Nelson slices through the door as they start to knock on it, and I’ll be damned if that knife didn’t grow three sizes since it welded to his arm! But he’s no longer sad office nerd Nelson, he’s angry powerful vengeful Nelson-he gets shot out of a window by Abbie, falls a few stories, lands on a car, and then gets up and smiles! In the words of Abbie Mills: Oh, damn!

Jenny catches up with The Hitchhiker Thief at a diner outside town; she’s already sold the Shard, except Jenny knows she hasn’t because that was another Corbin trick. How the hell does she know all these weirdly specific things? Who is Sophie’s employer that wants the Shard so badly? And why the hell is it so important?

Abbie and Crane have to figure out how to disarm (literally) Nelson, and they do it in standard Sleepy Hollow fashion: with the internet and an unfettered access to all records everywhere. It takes some time and dialogue, but they piece together that the knife gets its power by draining the blood of victims; if it were to drain blood that was unhealthy, it would lose it’s power.

Every Breath You Take

Nelson must have disregarded Pandora’s orders, because Office flirt Emily is obviously Nelson’s next victim for a whole list of reasons (only one of them being that he has secret pictures of her on his computer). She gets picked up for police protection, but when Abbie can’t get in touch with Policeman Rudy, she knows something is wrong and it’s time for them to save the day.

The Action Plan for this episode: shoot Nelson up with Malaria-tainted blood so that the knife will release him. He’s got Emily as a hostage, and when the first round of poisoned blood hits him, he just shrugs it off. Nothing freaking happens. Crane and Nelson fight it out, and as Nelson stabs Ichabod with his blade Ichie reveals that he poisoned himself with the malaria blood, which ends the hold of the Ripper Knife.

Nelson for Crane is not a fair trade, but Abbie isn’t going to let Crane die, even with Pandora breathing down her neck about her impending loneliness.

Joe is sorting through Papa Corbin’s stuff in hopes of finding info on the Shard while Jenny tries to figure out if Corbin was teaching his trade to any lonely orphan that walked by. Things are about to get weird (as they do in Sleepy Hollow), but Joe and Jenny are all in for this mystery.

Abbie has to raincheck her inappropriate working dinner with Randall, so he offers her a drink instead. Drinks on an empty stomach? You’re smarter than that, Mills. Randall just wants to make sure they’re cool because of, you know… “what happened”. They are. Glad they got the chance to get that out of the way.

I’ll Be Watching You

Crane wakes up in Abbie’s house with an IV in his arm and a little ‘splaining to do. Injecting himself with Malaria seemed risky, but he spent two years building up an immunity to iocaine powder. developed an immunity to it during the Seige of Charleston, so aside from that massive stab wound he was going to be just fine. Abbie fills him in on Pandora’s scare tactics: she’s trying to raise fear, but why? Is she doing it for herself, or is she working for someone? And were those questions a secret? ‘Cause Pandora just heard everything you said in her wire-tap pond.

Leave your thoughts on the episode below and we’ll read them on tonight’s Sleepy Hollow podcast. 

Sleepy Hollow S3E3
  • 7.5/10
    Plot - 7.5/10
  • 6.5/10
    Dialogue - 6.5/10
  • 8/10
    Action - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Performances - 8/10
7.5/10

Summary

Sleepy Hollow has a definite formula, but when the plot and the monster of the week and the Witnesses interaction converge in the right way, that formula delivers a pretty entertaining episode. The new/revived characters have the opportunity to breathe some life into the show, but only if they start getting some better lines! Joe could be made interesting if he weren’t just following Jenny around like a clueless puppy, and Randall’s only purpose so far is to approve all of Abbie’s requests to stay on the case. Pandora continues to be the highlight of the show, bringing back the much missed mystery and intrigue. This particular episode was exceptionally light on the effects yet still delivered a really interesting main story line that was worth the entire hour.

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About Robyn Horton (94 Articles)
Robyn grew up a military brat whose parents let her indulge in her love of literature, mythology, movies, musicals, and Kings Quest (without telling her how nerdy they were). She is now a reformed graphic designer with a husband, two dogs, a Sweeney Todd themed bathroom, and a burning need to know how many books really can fit in one house.

5 Comments on Sleepy Hollow - S3E3 - Blood and Fear

  1. Good episode unfortunately-nodded off a bit but I saw most of it
    For the podcast:
    Icabods tangents/pontifications/icons foams or whatever they’re called are hilarious-after the visit from the woman who promised 2 expedite his citizenship papers he looks @ painting of GW & patriots expounding oh puleez!!!! Adams would’ve done the same! I can’t help but laugh out loud
    The battle b/t icabod & mod day Jack the Ripper was cool-now did icabod get stabbed?
    Abby comforting icabod while waiting for ambulance-did Abby see or hear her?
    Loved the scene at the window-Abbie seemed so stunned she had 2 say DAMN twice! 😄
    I’m really enjoying this season thus far!
    Haven’t seen enough of gross’s character but I’m liking the chemistry b/t he & abbie
    Good episode overall-need 2 rewatch

  2. I am very late to this game so forgive me if this question is redundant, but exactly why are these two NOT hooking up on this show (and/or in real life?) HELLO. They are pretty hot together. If she doesn’t want him, I do 😀

  3. FOR THE PODCAST:

    Hi ladies!

    I have officially hopped onto the Sleepy Hollow train! When it was announced that PF wouldn’t be podcasting AHS this season, I knew I wanted to pick up another show to listen to along with Empire and The Flash. The only other show that interested me was Sleepy Hollow. So, thank you Sarah for letting me know that I can just jump in and start with Season 3. I’ve really enjoyed these first three episodes. I LOVE that this show takes place in Sleepy Hollow, a town that is about 15 miles north from me. There are so many shows based in NYC, which I also love, since I work in Manhattan, but having a show take place in Westchester County is just AWESOME!

    I read that Season 3 is filmed in Atlanta. Having been to Atlanta many times (for a former job), I never thought that the Atlanta-area could ever sub for the Hudson River Valley area, but they make it work! And I appreciate all the little touches (mostly signage) that they do to make it more legit. I especially appreciate the overhead shots they show of the actual town with the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Hudson River in the background.

    Since I am still collecting my bearings on this show, I don’t have anything substantive to say about this episode other than a) I want Iccabie babies NOW, b) I really love Jenny, c) and seriously with that big ass office??? Regional office or not, as a first year, you don’t get an office like that unless you are sharing it with 12 other first years.

    The only other thing I wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed the two podcasts for this season. This is the first podcast I’ve listen to that had only women on the show. While I love John and Donny, I must say, I adore the chemistry between the three of you. You sometimes talk over each other when you all are really excited and it’s adorable (rather than annoying as it can be on other podcasts). I feel like we should all be in a living room together, drinking an adult beverage (or hot cocoa) and painting our toe nails. Kudos on a truly wonderful show.

  4. This show makes me smile so much.

    FOR THE PODCAST

    I hope you are okay with me writing longer posts for recap shows!

    1. The line of the night for me was “Damn. Ah Damn” from Abbie. When she shot him out the window I was like hell yeah! Then he got up and she said that line and I died. I loved that this story wasn’t a monster rather an item that can change people into one. With this variety it may provide a balance between mythical monsters and mythical items if they keep going down that route.

    2. The one woman who wasn’t having Ichabod’s shit was that black woman! She was so unamused. But then we go right into the scene where this trollop is talking to him. Also, this hussy’s acting is wack. I did find it funny that he took her up on her offer to help him become an American citizen though.

    3. So why cant Danny clear the air over lunch? Not dinner? He trying to get what Randall tried to get. Randall wasn’t successful and neither were you Danny. You been here only a what a few minutes and you are trying to sop Abbie up like a biscuit. Don’t act like I am not watching you. You keep bringing up y’all push each other. I don’t give a fuck that y’all push each other when you trying to push up in her. Look Danny you cute and all (minus the ocean waves) but I am shipping only two people and you aint one of them!

    4. There is no way you are going to make me think that younger version of Ichabod was Ichabod. Unless they are trying to say he was an fugly duckling when he was younger, that he dyes his hair and adds blond highlights, I refuse to believe that ragamuffin is him.

    5. I knew that Jack the Ripper guy was a shitstain when he tried to ask woman in the elevator out. He basically cornered her with a crowd and closed enclosure expecting a yes. Man fuck him. Then he was going after the woman that didn’t want him he decided to go after her? It was too on the nose with how men act in real life. When Ichabod got stabbed, I fucking gasped. I knew nothing would happen to him but it happened without any thought. Abbie’s oh god was not oh god enough. My boo got stabbed,

    6. It was brief but finally Abbie and Jenny are together! I would like another episode like the one when they saw their mother in season 1 was it called Mama? I loved that episode and hopefully, it will happen.

    7. Let me just say this, black don’t crack because Rudy got Rippered and he still looked good unlike Ichabod’s friend who look a good 70 years old when they showed his face.

    8. When he said that he was happy that they found each other again I swooned. Then that Pandora’s thirty ass had that black rose growing on that tree.

    9. Pet Peeve: I hate when shows fake like there is something in a cup. Can’t they just put water in it to provide some type of weight in it?

  5. I really hope I’m not late. Today was my deadline at work so I tried to stay offline as much as possible.

    FOR THE PODCAST

    I’m really enjoying Pandora as a villain. She’s a chameleon who changes her appearance to suit her purposes. And that freaky knife was pretty cool. It was like witchblade and started turning into an armor. Cool!

    Not here for the historical society chick! Back off Ichabod!

    I enjoy looking at Reynolds but since he’s Abbie’s boss, back up dude.

    Abbie’s bullets still don’t do anything to the bad guys. But that “Damn. Oh DAMN!” Was hilarious!

    I still don’t understand what’s going on with Jenny’s fake ass rock but I love her being badass.

    That’s it. Hopefully this made the podcast on time. Can’t wait to hear it!

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